Caveat Emptor

[Ben Franz]

I just received three books from Taunton Press - ordered during the recent 25% off sale. While flipping through FWW Design Book Eight, I noticed a familiar look. I got out my copy of FWW Furniture - 102 Contemporary Designs, purchased earlier this year. IT'S THE EXACT SAME BOOK WITH A DIFFERENT COVER . They added a two page introduction and a 5 page "Exercise in Design" article at the end. Otherwise, the publications are page for page identical.

I subscribe to 3 differnt Taunton magazines, bought the FWW compilation DVD and have several other books of theirs. Most readers are aware of the repetition of material from magazine to books. The same article might appear in a furniture construction book and a book on a particular tool or family of tools for example. I think this instance has crossed the line into deception and fraudulent business practice. I will be asking Taunton for a refund and reimbursement of shipping costs both ways. I'm interested to hear of any explanation for this misrepresentation and then I'll decide if I remain a customer and subscriber.

I'll post results here. Arrrgggghhh!

[Mike Henderson]

I agree they should put a statement something like, "The bulk of the information in this book was previously published in the book XXXXX". To not do so is misleading.

Mike

[Peter Quinn]

Yeah, they are big into recycling. I'd be surprised if they don't make it right though on the return once you express your feelings about the issue. Sometimes I buy those compilation special editions knowing every bit of it exists in some other magazine I already have just for the convenience of having the material in one package. But there is clearly nothing convenient about buying the same book twice with two different covers.

[Keith Christopher]

I've been disappointed with FWW for a while now. I really only subscribe to woodsmith anymore. I am thinking about going with woodworking mag though. I dunno, so much has been done/said rarely anything new anymore.

[Matthew Kenney]

Ben,

I'm an editor at FWW magazine. I'm sorry that you're not happy with the Design Book. If you contact customer service, I'm sure that you'll be able to return it. Did you buy it directly from Taunton? When I read your post I went to the store on our website and checked the description given for Design Book Eight. This is the 5th paragraph of that description:

(Virtually all of the content in Design Book Eight has appeared in one of our special newsstand publications, entitled Furniture: 102 Contemporary Designs.)

I imagine that it being in the 5th paragraph of the description makes it easy to miss. Again, I'm sorry.

[James Carmichael]

I've been disappointed with FWW for a while now.

LOML bought me a subscription to FWW for Xmas and I've really been enjoying it, of course, I only purchased it occaisionally over the past few years, so I don't really have much experience to compare it to.

I especially liked the May issue and am planning to build the Morris chair.

[Chip Lindley]

In the early '80s I was hungry for any woodworking information I could get my hands on! FWW filled the bill very nicely. For 10 or more years, I thoroughly learned the basics (and more advanced aspects) of woodworking.

But there comes a time when rehashed information has no utility and is
not useful to a reader who has advanced beyond that point. FWW seems to rely on a stream of new readers who glean their retreaded articles.

By 2000 I dropped my subscription to FWW because of this very reason. Too little NEW information! Sure, there may be one article per issue worth my while, but is one article worth the price of an expensive subscription, or even more expensive news stand price?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Ben,

I'm an editor at FWW magazine. I'm sorry that you're not happy with the Design Book. If you contact customer service, I'm sure that you'll be able to return it. Did you buy it directly from Taunton? When I read your post I went to the store on our website and checked the description given for Design Book Eight. This is the 5th paragraph of that description:

(Virtually all of the content in Design Book Eight has appeared in one of our special newsstand publications, entitled Furniture: 102 Contemporary Designs.)

I imagine that it being in the 5th paragraph of the description makes it easy to miss. Again, I'm sorry.

Matthew, glad you stopped by. PLEASE read some of the many posts here about FWW slipping in quality. I really like the potential of the magazine, and I believe it used to include higher quality content. I strongly believe thats it's slipping into the average catagory, just like all the rest. I haven't got a useful bit from it in quite a while. Remember Lonnie Birds secretary? IMHO, that project was superb.

[Mike Henderson]

Matthew, glad you stopped by. PLEASE read some of the many posts here about FWW slipping in quality. I really like the potential of the magazine, and I believe it used to include higher quality content. I strongly believe thats it's slipping into the average catagory, just like all the rest. I haven't got a useful bit from it in quite a while. Remember Lonnie Birds secretary? IMHO, that project was superb.

I'll second that. More projects showing how to make complex furniture would be very appreciated.

Mike

[David DeCristoforo]

Yes, they "recycle" articles "ad infinitum". But if you happen to be an author, it's even worse because they do not pay the author for reprinting the work... no royalties or even a "token" payment...nada. It's in the "fine print" of their contract although I think you have to dip the contract in lemon juice or something to get it to appear.

In the end, there is only so much one can write about woodworking techniques. Eventually every publication has to start repeating. Sometimes someone comes up with a new "spin" but mostly the topic is just given a "fresh face" (or a new cover).

[Tom Welch]

I agree, at the premium price charged at the news stand for the mag, you would expect a premium product. The quality has slipped. Need more advanced articles. I used to buy FWW, in fact I have a complete shelf of them, but I stopped buying them about a year ago. My 2 cents.

[Wes Grass]

Stopped at the market tonight, checked the magazine rack while I was there. American Woodworker, I think, 'Special Edition' somethin' or other, about 1/8" thick. 6 bucks. Sealed in plastic so you can't even see if there's anything worthwhile in it. Which is probably why they seal it in plastic to begin with.

Subscribed to several mag's 10 years ago. Still have them. Some of them had typical covers proclaiming 'build the ultimate miter station', or tablesaw sled, or whatever. They were usually the 'rags' of the bunch. FWW stood out as the high end publication. And now I see FWW covers with 'build the ultimate ...'

Bummer. I'll stay subscribed for another couple years and see how it goes.

[John Schreiber]

Matthew, glad you stopped by. PLEASE read some of the many posts here about FWW slipping in quality. I really like the potential of the magazine, and I believe it used to include higher quality content. I strongly believe thats it's slipping into the average catagory, just like all the rest. I haven't got a useful bit from it in quite a while. Remember Lonnie Birds secretary? IMHO, that project was superb.

I don't think that it has really slipped in quality. I think they have just targeted a different market. There are very few people who will build or even appreciate a Lonnie Bird secretary, but there are lots of people at the grocery store looking for something they can build. They are at the high end of that group, but it's not targeted toward professionals or high-end hobbyists.

[Matt Meiser]

I just let my subscription lapse as well. No reason to repeat the reasons. I continued to get Wood for a long time since they discount the heck out of it. But IMHO, Fine Woodworking's elitist "you'll pay what we say you'll pay" attitude rubs me the wrong way when you consider the decline of the magazine from one about fine woodworking to one about everyday woodworking over the last few years. (Edit--John posted my take exactly while I was typing this.) I'll continue to check the newsstand and buy an occasional issue but even there I think they are up to $7?

Woodsmith and ShopNotes are both good IF there's a project you are interested in, but with only a couple projects per issue and precious little else, there's probably only a few a year.

American Woodworker, Woodworker's Journal, and Woodcraft are really poor IMHO. The latter two are just ads for Rocker and Woodcraft respectively--ones they want you to pay for. Then there's Woodworker's Journal's marketing techniques...

I'm down to just Popular Woodworking and Woodworking and I could see dropping the latter.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I don't think that it has really slipped in quality. I think they have just targeted a different market. There are very few people who will build or even appreciate a Lonnie Bird secretary, but there are lots of people at the grocery store looking for something they can build. They are at the high end of that group, but it's not targeted toward professionals or high-end hobbyists.

I can only speak for myself, but I doubt I'm alone when I say that I completely disagree with that approach. You're right, it is what they are doing, but that crowd is the one looking for a $2 magazine, not a $7 magazine. Why on earth would you remarket to a different market at the expense of your existing one? I know, it's all about $, but it sure leaves a vacuum for the 201 level and higher skill niche.

I decided last year to not renew, then got a gift subscription, but I will not spend my own money on FWW, or any other magazine, until they actually include something for us more mature woodworkers. Good greif, I'm not an expert woodworker, not even close, so If I'm bored, are pure beginners their only market? We're a loyal lot (whats your predominate brand of tool?), the ones that stick with this sport that is. Give us a good magazine and we'll buy them until they quit printing. On the other hand, we're also pretty good at spotting useless glossy gimics that just waste our lumber funds.

BTW, where did Matthew go?